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Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

World

Scars of war: Mine victims

Land mines are exacting a terrible toll in Afghanistan -- even years after some devices were planted. Meet some of the people whose lives have been shattered in an instant.

/ 13 PHOTOS
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Gholam Rasool and Mohammad Aref

The UN Mine Information Network estimates that after 30 years of conflict in Afghanistan, approximately 62 people are killed or injured by land mines each month in the country. These portraits of survivors of mines were taken in December 2010, in Herat, Afghanistan.

Wheelchair-bound Gholam Rasool, 30, lost his feet three years ago after stepping on a land mine. Mohammad Aref, 35, stands behind him. Aref lost a leg nine years ago.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Nader Haidari

Nader Haidari, 37, lost his feet seven years ago after stepping on a mine.

About 70 countries are affected by landmines or explosive remnants of war, the Electronic Mine Information Network estimates.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Farahnaz

Farahnaz, 30, from Herat, lost her leg three years ago.

The U.N. estimates that 300 square miles of land in Afghanistan are mined.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Gholam Sarvar

Gholam Sarvar, 54, a doctor from Herat, lost his legs 12 years ago.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Fatemeh and mother

Fatemeh, 42, stands next to her mother, who lost her leg three months ago.

The U.N. estimated that $589 million would be spent in 2010 on mine action initiatives worldwide.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Inayatullah

Inayatullah, 48, whose feet were damaged by a land mine eight years ago, now sells mobile calling cards to survive.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Mohammad Aref

Mohammad Aref, 35, lost his leg nine years ago.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Jan Agha

Eight-year-old Jan Agha from Herat lost a foot and a hand a year ago.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Abdol Hamid

Five-year-old Abdol Hamid from Ghoor was injured by a bomb explosion two weeks before this photo was taken.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Azizallah, Hashmat, Jalil and Vali Allah

Sitting right to left, Azizallah, Hashmat, Jalil and Vali Allah all lost feet and limbs.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Aziz Allah

Aziz Allah, 49, lost his feet 10 years ago.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Mohammad

Mohammad, 44, a police officer from Herat, lost his legs 18 years ago.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
Image: Afghan Land Mine Victims Pose For Portraits

Noor Mohammad

Noor Mohammad, 46, a gardener from Herat, lost both feet 20 years ago after stepping on a land mine.

— Majid Saeedi / Getty Images Europe
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